Tuesday, March 25, 2014

HVAC Webpage To Track How VA Stonewalls the Press

Yesterday, the House Veterans Affairs Committee issued the following:

HVAC Webpage To Track How VA Stonewalls the Press

For more information, contact: Curt Cashour, (202) 225-3527

Mar 24, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today,
Chairman Jeff Miller launched VA Honesty Project, a new web component
of Veterans.House.Gov designed to highlight the Department of Veterans
Affairs’ lack of transparency with the press, and by extension the
public. View the page here.

Because the Department of Veterans Affairs is a taxpayer funded
organization, it has a responsibility to fully explain itself to the
press and the public. Unfortunately, in many cases, VA is failing in
this responsibility, as department officials – including 54 full-time public affairs employees – routinely ignore media inquiries.

VA Honesty Project documents nearly 70 recent instances in which VA
has failed to respond to reporters’ requests for information or refused
to answer specific questions. The department’s apparent disregard for
the press has become an object of reporters’ scorn, leading some to
openly accuse VA of “thumbing their nose at us” and others to write entire articles focusing on VA’s stonewalling tactics. VA Honesty Project will be continually updated with new examples of VA refusing to respond to the press as they arise.
Following the launch of VA Honesty Project, Chairman Miller issued the following statement.

“With 54 full-time public affairs employees, VA’s media avoidance
strategy can’t be anything other than intentional. What’s worse, the
tactic leaves the impression that department leaders think the same
taxpayers who fund the department don’t deserve an explanation of VA’s
conduct. VA Honesty Project is dedicated to showing America’s veterans,
American taxpayers and department leaders how VA’s media avoidance
strategy is doing the public an extreme disservice while damaging VA’s
reputation in the process. By keeping a running record of VA’s attempts
to stonewall the press, we hope to convince the department to put a
renewed focus on being responsive and transparent with the media so
America’s veterans and taxpayers can get the answers they deserve.” – Rep. Jeff Miller, Chairman, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

About Me

We do not open attachments. Stop e-mailing them. Threats and abusive e-mail are not covered by any privacy rule. This isn't to the reporters at a certain paper (keep 'em coming, they are funny). This is for the likes of failed comics who think they can threaten via e-mails and then whine, "E-mails are supposed to be private." E-mail threats will be turned over to the FBI and they will be noted here with the names and anything I feel like quoting.
This also applies to anyone writing to complain about a friend of mine. That's not why the public account exists.